Where to find freeride mountain biking

Samuel Connor

Aug 4, 2011

This article looks at places within the UK and Europe which are renowned as popular destinations for Freeride mountain bikers. All destinations listed below are parks run by companies specifically for the purpose of the sport.

Freeride in the UK

Freeride is a discipline that incorporates the speed of downhill biking with the freedom of single-track mountain biking. Freeride bikes have become more popular in recent years and parks have started accommodating this in the trails they offer.
Parks within the UK
Swinley forest - Located in the South East between Bracknell and Bagshot, it is owned and managed by The Crown Estate. The park is made up of 2600 acres of woodland and offers an expert mountain bike area.
Delamere Forest - Located in Chesire North East of chester, it is managed by the Forestry commission. It is full of sandy flowing trails and has facilities such as a bike wash on site.
Hopton Downhill Trail - Located in the West Midlands, it is managed by the Forestry Commission in conjunction with Pearce Cycles. The trails are advised for expert mountain bikers and are classed as Downhill Freeride trails for those who like to have their abilities tested on winding trails and jumps.
Haldon forest - Located in Exeter, it is managed by the Forestry Commission and houses 3,500 acres of woodland. The Forest contains the Haldon skills area which includes features such as berms, drops, northshore, jumps and a balance area. Each offers a varying degree of difficulty designed to help riders progress over the day.
Cwmcarn Freeride Trail - Located in South Wales and managed by the Forestry Commission Wales, it houses a purpose-built freeride park complete with jumps, berms and wall rides.
Coed Llandegla Forest - Located in North Wales and managed by UPM Tilhill, it is one of the largest privately-owned facilities in North Wales. It covers 650 hectares and has custom trails for riders with varying levels of skill.
Glentress and Innerleithen - Located in the Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders, it has won several acclaimed awards and has a dedicated Freeride park. Glentress is classed as providing some of the best trails in the UK.

Freeride in Europe

Les Gets Freeride Park - Located in the Northern Alps of France between Geneva Lake and Mont-Blanc. It offers 650km of slopes. Trails are accessed via chair lifts.
Spicak Bike Park - Located near Plzeň in the Czech Republic, it offers a 2300-metre track and a skills centre.In winter, it is a ski resort.
Leogang Bike Park - It is located in Salzburg Austria. Trails are reached by cable cars but each run incurs a fee.

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